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The graphical (and much faster) version of the pilot file editor I've been playing with is on the cusp of moving into alpha status, meaning I'll be posting builds for people to comment on. There are some aspects that I'd like people's opinions on, however. Mainly, how braindead should this editor be? Examples:
-Right now, PFE 3.0 won't let the user buy more cargo than there is room for. This is an easy task, but I do not have it set up to look for cargo space modifications and adjust things accordingly. On the one hand, it'd be nice for people that don't really know the Bible or ResEdit if PFE "protected them from themselves" but I like the ability to edit the pilot file any way I want. If I want a million tons of equipment in a shuttle, I should be able to make it that way if I want. Of course, for a believable pilot file, the user would have to know the Bible. Similar situations appear regarding fuel and number of turrents and other weapons that have a limit attached to them.
-Another issue is being able to choose ships, weapons, systems, spobs, and any other EV resource type that do not have a corresponding resource ID. Example: choosing a ship that doesn't exist, and then loading the pilot file in EVO, everything loads up fine, but you can move. Interestingly, you can shoot (just not aim). Selecting a non-existant spob as the place you last landed puts you literally in the middle of nowhere, in a non-existant syst with links to systems that don't work.
So the question is, how "braindead" should PFE be? Should it limit what the editor can do, based on the data files and plugins it loads, or should it assume the user knows what they are doing? I'm leaning toward the braindead option for a few reasons:
-1.) I'd like to think people know what they are doing -2.) Maybe data files/plugins aren't available and the user knows the settings they want -3.) It's easier to code
Also, I know I like the ability to dump plugin and data files to a spreadsheet. Would this feature be desirable for the pilot file (keeping in mind that there are thousands of "fields" stored in the pilot file)?
-STH
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How about a "limit editing" checkbox (or something) so someone could turn it on and off whenever they want? Would it help you to include your editor in another that already loads plugins? Maybe Shado83 would help there, if you want.
------------------ -- Nikolaus Wegner
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Originally posted by nwegner: **Would it help you to include your editor in another that already loads plugins? Maybe Shado83 would help there, if you want. **
Shado83 contacted me prior to starting work on the God editor, asking for details about how to edit pilot files. I sent some vague info back, letting him know that pilot file editing required a correct decrypt key (or at least the ability to generate one), and that I'd be happy to send him the script I'd written. He never got back to me, which was fine since it has allowed me to learn RealBasic (it doesn't seem like a language, though). Besides, if he wanted to include pilot file editing, all the necessary info from file structure to generation of the decrypt keys is out there, partly in old dev board discussions I had with some others, partly on the EV add-on page (someone made a simple utility that decrypts EV pilot files, and then re-encrypts them. Luckily they included the C source)).
A checkbox for expect/novice editing is a good idea. -STH
Hi seant!
Originally posted by seant: **A checkbox for expect/novice editing is a good idea.:) -STH
**
The standard option for this checkbox should be "beginner"; furthermore when you go to "expert", a message would warn you to read the bible and to double-check what you are doing. And at last I wouldn't like a PFE that would limit me (in fact, I wouldn't download it and I would continue using PFE 2 ). The discussion is interesting: it's between a "for-everybody" editing (like EV-edit) and a "professional" editing (like ResEdit). I am more for a "professional" editor. I think that as long as EV(O) does not crash for an anormal modification you've made, PFE should allow it. Moreover, PFE may not know the plugs you are using and I don't want to load/unload the plugs in the PFE files so as to allow PFE to let me make what I want.
And at last, seant, I've found nothing more interesting to test in PFE 2.
------------------ M'enfin! Y'a personne qui parle français ici?
Originally posted by Zacha Pedro: ** The discussion is interesting: it's between a "for-everybody" editing (like EV-edit) and a "professional" editing (like ResEdit). I am more for a "professional" editor. I think that as long as EV(O) does not crash for an anormal modification you've made, PFE should allow it. **
The only times I've managed to crash EVO in my testing is if PFE makes a major screwup in how it creates the resources. If the resources (128,129) are longer than EVO expects, it's ok with that. If they're shorter, EVO will load them at the start screen (where it tells you your rating, the system you're in, etc), but going to the game screen it chokes.
I've also had a few "mysterious" crashes, but I think it's because the game loads the resources and where it expects one type, there's another. Example: maybe it expects a boolean value and gets part of a short. That would totally hose the EVO engine, I think.
I discovered something interesting about chosing escorts: there was a sign error in my code and I ended up defining a forklift as an escort! It couldn't turn, had no armour, no shields, no weapons, and wouldn't show up on radar, but it followed my ship around. It took me a long time to figure out what the little yellow rectangle was, but I'm now sure it was a forklift. I think what happened was I chose an escort, but it's value was negative vs positive. I need to test this a bit more, but being able to do "invalid" things like this makes me want to keep PFE as a braindead app.
Check back here on Friday and I'll hopefully have an alpha build for you to test out and comment on. If not Friday, definitely Monday.
I personally have not gotten PFE 2.0 to work. Whenever I open the application and I select the pilot file I want to edit, an error message box pops up and tell me that the pilot file I selected couldn't be found. Then the application shuts down. What am I doing wrong, b/c I must be doing something wrong, b/c others have gotten PFE 2.0 to work. Please help me.
Cheers, ~Jedibrass
------------------ -author of "Dragerron" -OotS member -EVO plug developer, & amateur 3D graphics artist. -Star Wars fan(atic)
Originally posted by JediBrass: I personally have not gotten PFE 2.0 to work.... What am I doing wrong, b/c I must be doing something wrong, b/c others have gotten PFE 2.0 to work. Please help me.
Actually, I think your best bet would be to not try and get PFE2b to work. I've gotten a number of mysterious error complaints (most of them having to do with running PFE on the desktop or running a file on the desktop), but I can't reproduce them on any of my machines.
PFE3a builds are stable and will edit your pilot files, though they are currently introducing odd errors to the combat rating, fighters launched, and junk cargo on board.
If all you want to do is cheat, the PFE3a builds are fine. If you want to provide a pilot file with a plugin, you can do some testing with 3a, but I'd wait for 3b until doing any real work (3b is about 1 month away).
So encapsulate: I'm more interested in finishing PFE3 than troubleshooting PFE2b for problems I can't reproduce. Sorry.
I deleted PFE 2.0b and downloaded the only alpha build for PFE that there is (are there more than 1 build for PFE 3.0?). But when I tried to modify a pilot file, the pilot had a warship escort that had a govt id of "Fighter" and it couldn't be released. I opened the pilot in PFE 3.0 again to try and find the problem, couldn't find one, and now my pilot file has TWO warship escorts with government id's of "Fighter." This is some strange problem. Could you look into it?
~Jedibrass
Originally posted by JediBrass: This is some strange problem. Could you look into it?
There's all kinds of strange problems. I'm working on them.
Just display a warning dialog when they do something like this. If click Don't Ask Me Again it puts them in Expert Mode.
Originally posted by Ellmist(no cookies): Just display a warning dialog when they do something like this. If click Don't Ask Me Again it puts them in Expert Mode.
If you then wanted it again, you'd have to spend more time finding the reverse option somewhere else, and it would just be annoying to have a warning dialog pop up (ever). My preference is still a check box somewhere in the editing window(s).
I agree with putting the option inside of the same window instead of messing around in prefs because someone else else messed it up, but some kind of warning would be best. Maybe not a dialog just a beep and/or text at the bottom of the window explaining it.
so where's the option of expert mode, or does it not exist yet?
Originally posted by JediBrass: **so where's the option of expert mode, or does it not exist yet? **
Doesn't exist yet. Read "PFE alpha builds" for latest info.